I’ve seen some adorable proposals go viral in my day, but the letter one North Carolina man wrote asking his girlfriend to marry him might be the sweetest.

Kyle James and his girlfriend, Ashley Grigsby, had been dating for three years when they did something bold. Tired of the monotony of their daily routines, James and Grigsby quit their 9-to-5 jobs and decided to travel the world together. They spent the next 114 days visiting 38 cities in 15 countries. “We decided to risk our future for a happier now,” James told Cosmopolitan.

James ended up writing a book about the experience. But before he launched into the narrative, he penned a heartfelt dedication to Grigsby, honouring her courage, compassion, and endless support. “My sweet Ash, without your push, we never would have fallen,” he wrote. “Each year…you asked me to travel the world with you. You asked me to take you to romantic corners of Prague and intimate islands in Thailand. You asked me to spend miserable sunburned nights with you in Italy and long days under beach cabanas in the Greek Isles.”

James explained that he’d been reluctant to drop everything and travel. He felt like they needed more money, more time, and more work experience before they could embark on such an adventure. “Each year, you asked me. And each year, I gave you a reason why we should wait,” he wrote. And each year, Grigsby listened.

Eventually, James decided to take Grigsby up on her offer. And though he was afraid, Grigsby’s passion and enthusiasm kept him going. “Waking up to your smiling face every morning, eager to explore, assured me that everything was going to be OK,” he wrote. “It was hard for me to embrace our journey during the many sleepless nights in the sweltering Tuscan heat and exhausting back-to-back travel days in the jungles of Thailand, but by conquering these trials and tribulations together, we fell deeper in love.”

James said he also had Grigsby to thank for his finished book—without her, he might not have had the determination to complete it. He then concluded his sweet dedication with the words: “Will you marry me?”

When James got the first copy of his book from his publisher, he threw it in his backpack and took Grigsby for a hike. They navigated the Appalachian Mountains until they found the spot they’d shared their first kiss, and James pulled the book out of his bag. He asked her to read the dedication, and naturally, she said yes.

James and Grigsby are getting married in July 2018 in Croatia—one of the places they explored together. “No matter where I go or what I do, the only thing I am sure of is that I want you by my side,” James wrote. “Every cliff I jump off, every moped I crash, every morning after a night of food poisoning, every Mediterranean sunset, I want you by my side. I never want to stop exploring with you, Ash.”